Bollywood actors trace decade-long journey

New Delhi: They say experience is the best teacher and Bollywood actors Tusshar Kapoor and Dia Mirza couldn`t agree more. A decade old in the industry, they feel it`s their best phase and their downfalls helped them to mature. Even Shahid Kapoor, who will complete his 10 years in 2013, feels the same.

More misses than hits have surely been a learning experience for the B-town actors.

The year 2001 saw the entry of yesteryears actor Jeetendra`s son Tusshar. He made his debut opposite Kareena Kapoor in Satish Kaushik`s "Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai". Though he won some best debut awards, he couldn`t impress the audience and critics.

"We all know where we have goofed up. We are aware of our shortcomings. I know I have given a string of flops but I don`t read all the reviews and give importance to criticism.

"I pick four or five of them and while reading them, I try to analyse how honestly critics have assessed my performance. Of course, I have learned from their criticisms," Tusshar told IANS.

He struggled to establish himself as an actor and finally received appreciation for his comic timing in Rohit Shetty`s "Golmaal" franchise.

He has tried to break the mould with films like "Shootout at Lokhandwala" and "Shor in the City" and will be next seen in "The Dirty Picture".

"I don`t want to be typecast. I don`t want people to say that he was a good comedian or a good romantic hero. I want people to remember me as a good actor. I want them to say that I could do all kinds of roles," Tusshar said.

Former Miss Asia-Pacific Dia Mirza walked from the ramp to the arc lights in 2001 in "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein". She has done over 30 films but admits she is yet to do a movie that proves her as an actress.

"I grew to discover my love for acting. The last 10 years have been a drawing of experience from my strengths and weaknesses and from now on it starts afresh.

"Luck plays an important role. I have worked with some filmmakers who are very honest and had good stories to tell but unfortunately they didn`t click at the box office," Dia said.

However, her career graph is visibly reaching heights - now she has moved into production and is ready with her first venture "Love Breakups Zindagi".

"I think today I am at a whole new phase of my life and there is a lot that I have to look forward to. It`s amazing to look back. I was a girl from Hyderabad who set out herself free - but I was not sure about my aspirations. I didn`t know what my passions were at that time," she said.

Bipasha Basu also entered filmdom in the same year with Abbas-Mustan`s "Ajnabee". Then she featured in big commercial success films like "Raaz" and "Jism".

She became the talk of the town when she performed item numbers "Beedi Jalaile" and "Namak ishq ka" for 2006 film "Omkara". Bipasha will next be seen in international venture "Singularity" alongside Hollywood star Josh Hartnett.

The next year will see a brigade of actors turning 10-year-olds in the industry, including Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif.

Shahid, son of eminent actor Pankaj Kapoor, admits he was confused initially but now knows what he wants. He made his debut in 2003 with Ken Ghosh`s love-story "Ishq Vishq".

"A decade back, I was running around, trying to get myself any kind of a role, going to different places, auditioning and being rejected. I was trying to make my body and just trying to get a break anyhow. Then `Ishq Vishk` happened," Shahid said.

"When I started off, I didn`t really know anything. I just had a lot of love and passion for acting. I knew acting was what I loved the most in the world.

"But I got confused. The first four or five years of my career, I was very confused - I didn`t know what was right, what was wrong. There was no one to guide, nobody to tell me," the actor said.